Career Firefighter Promoted To Lieutenant In Lawrence Township Fire Department

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Firefighter Michael Ratcliffe was recently promoted to Fire Lieutenant at the Lawrence Township Fire Department.

Ratcliffe was sworn in during the March 21 Council meeting by Mayor John Ryan. It is only the second time in the history of the fire department that a firefighter was appointed lieutenant, Emergency Management Coordinator Jac Oakley said.

Ratcliffe was first appointed to the career staff in Lawrence Township on April 13, 2013. He initially joined the Lawrence Road Volunteer Fire Company as a volunteer firefighter in April 1992, during his freshman year at Rider University.

“Mike’s father spent 40 years as a volunteer firefighter in their hometown of Metuchen, NJ,” Oakley said. “So Mike has known about the fire service his entire life.”

During his 21 years at the Lawrence Road Volunteer Fire Company, Ratcliffe served as lieutenant, captain, administrative president and company historian.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications. Prior to being hired as a career firefighter for Lawrence Township, Radcliffe worked as a journalist for almost 20 years, starting out as a crime-beat reporter for the Trenton Times and ending his journalism career as an editor for the Lawrenceville Patch.

Ratcliffe’s wife Ann and son James were present during his swearing-in ceremony.

“The fire service has been with me my entire life and it’s something that I treasure,” Ratcliffe said. “Each day is enjoyable, exciting, different – all firefighters will tell you it’s the best job in the world.”

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